More on the need to cultivate the Cult of the Dead, and what we're currently getting all wrong

Timely, in light of the approach of All Souls, (about which i shall probably write after the LitCom meeting next week; I am hopeful, my sense is our parish is maturing liturgically, evidenced so far by their at least frankly now calling what we conduct a "Memorial Service" rather than pretending it is "Vespers.")
The original post: http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/2007/10/resurrecting-cult-of-dead.html
The thread: http://www.haloscan.com/comments/stribe/5749794583952667229/
It is not uncommon to hear someone say that before the liturgical changes of the 1960's, the atmosphere at Catholic funerals was intensely negative. ... While I don't disagree .. the cult of the dead in the Catholic tradition is rich and beautiful and full of hope.
and
most Catholic funerals today are canonization celebrations.... discourse on the Four Last Things (death, judgment, heaven, hell) needs to ensue.
And recommendations which I must take to heart, these have both been on my "to-read" list for too long.
Professor Eamon Duffy has written beautifully about the cult of the dead in 16th century England in his book The Stripping of the Altars. Also, Fr. Jonathan Robinson has written about some of the modern errors which have contributed to the deterioration of the cult of the dead in the present age in his book The Mass and Modernity. I encourage you all to read both of these books.
But the real meat was in some posts from, how delightful to report! priests.
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http://www.haloscan.com/comments/stribe/5749794583952667229/#190918
It seems that the movement to white vestments at funerals is very much rooted in the American denial of death and mortality. Culturally, we do anything and everything to deny the reality of death. This break with reality has found its way into our liturgical practices, and not for the better. I believe that one could argue that the current liturgical praxis, at least as I have experienced it, is not only unhealthy, but is very problematic in that it reinforces these un-human and un-Catholic Ideas. This is a definite situation where a reform of the reform is needed.
I recently concelebrated the funeral of a priest and confrere. Admittedly he was a holy man and a good priest. However, given the funeral Mass, one would have assumed he had been raised to the altars. He himself would have been horrified. What he would have wanted was that those present be exhorted to pray for him, a man fully aware of who he was before God. Because he was a member of a religious congregation he will have Masses offered for him by rule. But what about those who are not so fortunate?
Our current funeral praxis does little to really help the dead or the living. We priests must always keep in mind "lex orandi, lex credendi." Reform of both praxis and catechesis is necessary. So bring out the black vestments and the unbleached candles, but be sure to explain what you're doing and why. It is my experience that people will be grateful.
Fr. Scott Bailey, C.Ss.R.
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http://www.haloscan.com/comments/stribe/5749794583952667229/#190979
My personal experience of mourning is that resurrection is obviously important but it is seen through the tomb. Even the Resurrection himself wept at the death of his friend, we need to acknowledge that.
We should not pretend that "death is nothing at all" for mourners it is horrendous, there is need for the Church to identify with that soul splitting grief, otherwise we do a grave disservice to those who mourn (as well as to Christ's death).
The jolly "resurrection mass", that celebrates the life of the deceased, without acknowledging grief so often imposes a concept that is alien to the sorrow death brings.At the moment of intense grief, mourners need the Church to stand with those who grieve, rather than shouting Resurrection at them. I remember and Anglican clergy man saying at a funeral, "the vestments are black but shot through with gold", a good metaphor for Christian mourning.
I normally use purple because it associates the Requiem with Advent and Lent, times of waiting and expectation, of things not yet accomplished.
Mourning is a process, not just an event, we need to reflect in our Rites for the dead.
Fr Raymond Blake
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http://www.haloscan.com/comments/stribe/5749794583952667229/#190985
I used to serve in a parish which had funeral Masses every week (!) and I noted that almost all the men wore black ties and the women wore sombre colours.
It struck me then, and it still does, as being somewhat un-pastoral not to recognise the deep psychological need to acknowledge loss and to grieve. The Requiem Mass recognises this, through the use of black or violet vestments.
When someone grieves, telling them to cheer up (which wearing white is akin to doing) is irritating and hurtful.
In grief, what helps one to cope (as indeed, the Scriptures tell us) is hope. As such, the Requiem Mass is also shot through with hope and a sure and certain faith in the Resurrection. This hope is a promise and something we long for, but it is not yet fully realised.
Wearing white (or worse still, gold) is a crass and naive expression of Resurrection faith that does not approach the subtlety and nuance of traditional liturgical practice that recognises grief mingled with hope in the life to come.
Fra' Lawrence Lew, O.P.